


Worthwhile

by potentiality_26



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Ficlet, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 23:24:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11611125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potentiality_26/pseuds/potentiality_26
Summary: “Let’s see what we have here, hmm?”  Eggsy’s pasta sauce was burned on the bottom, his garlic bread was burned on the top, and his cooking water had boiled over long before he got any spaghetti in.  Harry swept a spoon into the sauce, tasting it.  “The flavor is excellent," he said.  "That’s what matters.”Eggsy looked doubtful, but Harry meant it.  Eggsy would be a fine cook- once he had time to practice.Harry helps Eggsy save dinner.





	Worthwhile

**Author's Note:**

> For the tumblr prompt: cooking together. The title inspired by a Truman Capote quote- “Oh, I adore to cook. It makes me feel so mindless in a worthwhile way”- though I think it fits for other reasons. 
> 
> Not Brit-picked.

“I don’t get it,” Eggsy said tragically. “I did everything right.”

Harry regarded him from beyond the kitchen. Eggsy had been back from his most recent mission for three days, and he had been in Harry’s house for all of them. Harry had arranged things so he could leave Kingsman early that evening and take the following day off, spend a little time with Eggsy.  And when he arrived home...

The cuts and bruises Eggsy had hoped not to let his mother and sister see were fading nicely, but beyond that Eggsy was a mess.  His eyes were wide, his shirt was stained, and his hair was standing straight up- glistening with what Harry chose to assume was tomato sauce.  He looked like he couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry.  

Harry himself couldn’t decide whether to laugh or hug him. He did neither, just stepping closer to Eggsy and resting a light hand on the small of his back. When Eggsy was stressed he got jumpy, and it was best not to touch him much more than that until he invited it.  Eggsy positively sagged against him.  Harry let his arms go around Eggsy, holding him from behind.  Eggsy had mentioned that he might cook something the night before over shared takeaway, but Harry hadn’t anticipated anything like this. Judging from the number of books on the counter and dishes in the sink, he had been trying for a feast.  

“You may have done everything a little too right, hmm?” Harry said.  “That stove can smell fear.”

Eggsy laughed, just a little weakly.  “Ain't scared of a stove.”

“Nor should you be,” Harry agreed.  “Let’s see what we have here, hmm?”  Eggsy’s pasta sauce was burned on the bottom, his garlic bread was burned on the top, and his cooking water had boiled over long before he got any spaghetti in.  Harry swept a spoon into the sauce, tasting it.  “The flavor is excellent," he said.  "That’s what matters.”

Eggsy looked doubtful, but Harry meant it. Eggsy would be a fine cook- once he had time to practice.  

Harry said, “Why don’t you get some greens and some eggs out of the refrigerator?  I have a plan.”  Not enough of the sauce was salvageable to dress pasta, but since Eggsy hadn’t made any yet Harry didn’t feel that mattered.  He collected it together in a bowl.

“Now what?” Eggsy asked as he rinsed out the greens.

“Leave the eggs for a moment and cook those greens down a little.”  Harry retrieved one of the few remaining unused pans for the purpose.  

Eggsy glanced toward the cookbooks only briefly before he shrugged and did as Harry said, a tiny smile growing on his lips.  

Meanwhile, Harry scraped the burned bits off the garlic bread and trimmed the pieces into passable toasts for dipping.  He and Eggsy worked around each other smoothly, elbows and hips brushing here and there.  Eggsy was relaxing, Harry could feel it on the air- and cooking ought to be relaxing or what, with the lives they led, was the point?  Harry thought if Eggsy wanted he would happily make a tradition of this- cooking together when Eggsy was here.  He could stand to order a lot less takeaway, and anyway he hoped that one day soon Eggsy might be here all the time. Harry got down two ramekins and settled against Eggsy’s back again.  “Put some of the greens in each ramekin, then some sauce, then an egg.  And we’ll bake them, all right?”      

Eggsy nodded and did so, deliberate but more casual now.  He took direction so beautifully, and it always made him seem so content.  “We should grate a little cheese on top,” he suggested.  

“That’s an excellent idea.”  Harry made for the refrigerator to get some, but he paused with one hand still on Eggsy’s waist and lifted the other, gently wiping a little dried sauce from Eggsy’s hairline.

Eggsy's smile widened.  Harry was confident that the minor disaster would be forgotten- at least until they needed to wash the dishes.

Harry wouldn't mind, even then.  This moment was entirely worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Come see me on [tumblr](http://potentiality-26.tumblr.com/).


End file.
